


When the Flood Calls

by the_genderman



Series: A Brief Summer Squall of an Affair [3]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Arguing, Bad Decisions, F/M, Infidelity, M/M, Making Out, Secret Relationship, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:35:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22578694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_genderman/pseuds/the_genderman
Summary: The end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end? Hank finds out that, oops, Howard is… married. Perhaps it’s time for a little soul-searching. How much was Hank unwilling to see? And how far is he willing to go?
Relationships: Hank Pym/Howard Stark, Howard Stark/Maria Stark
Series: A Brief Summer Squall of an Affair [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623697
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	When the Flood Calls

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a line from Peter Gabriel – “Here Comes the Flood.”  
>  __
> 
> _When the flood calls  
>  You have no home, you have no walls  
> In that thunder crash  
> You're a thousand minds, within a flash  
> Don't be afraid to cry at what you see  
> The actor's gone, there's only you and me  
> And if we break before the dawn  
> They'll use up what we used to be_  
> 

“And this?” Howard paused to nuzzle into Hank’s neck, making him tip his head to expose a strip of skin just below his jaw so he could suck another kiss there before continuing. His other arm was wrapped around Hank’s waist as they sat on the couch, experimental designs spread out on the coffee table in front of them, Hank practically in his lap. Howard tapped his finger against the blueprint. “This is the part that’s been bugging me. It _ought_ to work if the math is right—and it _is_ —but I just can’t get it to _stay_ running. It fires up just fine, but then ten, fifteen minutes later, it’ll blow a vacuum tube. A different one every time, I know, I took enough notes. Maybe a second set of eyes will help. I’ve been staring at it for far too long.”

“Hmm,” Hank mused, leaning in a bit further, focus torn between the puzzle on the blueprints in front of him or the promise of Howard’s hand, slipped beneath his shirt and warm against his skin. “What if you—?”

Hank didn’t have a chance to finish his thought before Howard’s head jerked up and he let out a short bark of a curse. And then Howard was pushing him aside, rising to his feet, and rapidly crossing the sitting room to the foyer. Hank looked up after him, startled and confused by this abrupt change.

Smoothing his shirt to a more presentable state, Howard strode confidently to the door, his entire demeanor changed in just seconds. Hank watched as the front door opened and an elegant-looking woman entered the house followed closely by Jarvis. Hank’s eyes narrowed, jealousy surged up inside him like heartburn. Who _was_ she? He watched her and Howard as they talked in the foyer; their body language said they were _quite_ familiar. She leaned in when Howard spoke, Howard took her hands in his and held them, smiling. Their words were too quiet for Hank to hear, but their tone was warm and domestic. _Intimate_.

“Mr. Pym? I’m terribly sorry,” Jarvis’s voice, hushed so only he would hear, brought Hank out of his reverie with a start. “I know it’s not my place to judge, but it would probably be in your best interests to tuck your shirt back in and, mmh, perhaps cover your neck.”

“That woman, who is she?” Hank asked, equally quietly, pretending like nothing was amiss even though his stomach turned with every possibility. He tugged his turtleneck higher, hoping it would camouflage the worst of Howard’s affections.

And then, Howard’s voice again, addressing him. Jarvis stepped politely back, giving Hank an apologetic frown as he went. Hank stood and turned to face Howard, shoving his hands into his pockets and surreptitiously thumbing the hem of his shirt back into place. He felt lost, unsure of what he was walking into, quicksand or solid ground.

“Hank, I’d like you to meet my wife, Maria,” Howard said, swinging his hand out between Hank and Maria, palm open like he was displaying a prized possession. 

Hank wasn’t sure which of them the gesture was meant for. 

“Maria, this is Hank. Hank Pym,” Howard said, making the introductions. “Brilliant young man. We work together. He’s helping me to try and work out some of the kinks in my latest invention. You know, the one that keeps going bang at inopportune times.”

“Yes, I do,” Maria said, grimacing fondly. Clearly a bit too familiar with Howard’s little inventions, but proud nonetheless. She slipped easily back into the pleasant face of the practiced hostess as she turned to Hank. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pym. I hope Howard’s not been bothering you too much. He _does_ get rather invested in his ideas.”

Maria held out her hand and Hank took it politely, trying not to look like he was scrutinizing her. She was an attractive young woman. Refined, elegant, clearly from a family of some wealth and class. _She couldn’t be much older than me_ , Hank thought to himself. He shot a lightning-quick glance over at Howard and was met with a too-familiar smile, here directed at Maria. _He loves her. He really does_.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, too, Mrs. Stark,” Hank said, giving a little bow of his head, trying to push down his tangle of emotions and not give it all away in his face. “And don’t worry, it’s no bother. It’s an honor to be able to puzzle out experimental designs like these ones your husband dreams up.”

“Well, don’t let him work you too hard,” Maria said with a little smile. “I’ll be out in the garden if you need me, Howard.”

A brief, not entirely comfortable silence, and then Maria was off. When she was out of earshot, Howard sighed, releasing the breath he had been holding. Hank gritted his teeth to prevent himself from exploding with all of his thoughts and feelings. He turned to Howard.

“Your _wife_?!” Hank hissed, venom in his voice. “You never told me you were _married_!”

“Oh no, don’t you put that on me,” Howard huffed and held up his hand, gold wedding band glinting on his finger. “I may not have specifically mentioned it, but I never tried to _hide_ it, either. If you didn’t know, it was because you didn’t _want_ to know.”

“You’re married!” Hank said again, some of the incredulity and anger leaching out of his words. “ _You’re_ the one who came onto _me_. And you have a wife!”

“Yeah I’m a philanderer, so sue me. But look, Hank, you’re a scientist. The evidence has always been there,” Howard said tiredly. “Maybe I shouldn’t’ve made assumptions, but I did. I assumed you saw all of it—the ring, the pictures, the women’s things around the house, in the _bedroom_ —and made a judgement call. That you didn’t mind being, pardon the phrasing, ‘the other woman’ in our relationship.”

Hank took a half step back as if those words had slapped him in the face. In a sense, maybe they had. Nothing Howard had said was a lie. Maybe Hank had seen it all and rejected what he knew to be true. Maybe he had been lying to himself the whole time. 

And maybe he _didn’t_ mind being the other woman. He loved Howard, in whatever deluded way, he loved him. He loved whatever they had together. If it meant looking the other way, if it meant sharing him, he would take it if it meant he got to spend this kind of time with him. This thing, this _affair_. Maybe what they had was real, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it wasn’t destined to last, but he’d take as much as he could get, however he could get it.

“Does she know?” Hank asked softly, deflating.

“No.” Howard shook his head. “Not you specifically. I think she suspects that my eye never really stopped wandering, but she’s never said anything to me about it.”

“You love her?” Hank asked, not entirely sure what kind of answer he wanted to get.

Howard nodded.

“And she’s ok with your… wandering eye?” Hank asked softly. All the fight had gone out of him.

“I always come back to her at the end of the day. We’re good together, we really are,” Howard flushed a little, looking suddenly small and a little shy.

Another breath of silence, too full of unspoken words and too-strong feelings.

“But… us?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Howard chuckled and held out his hand. “To be perfectly frank and a little bit crude, there are a few things Maria—or any other woman— _can’t_ give me that I still _very_ much enjoy. I don’t know if you’ve ever let another man fuck you in the ass, but if you haven’t, you really ought to give it a try some time. Highly recommended.”

“Oh, are you offering?” Hank said with a little laugh. He took the proffered hand and allowed Howard to bring it to his lips and kiss his knuckles softly. Even after everything, that little action, that little flirtatious smirk, Howard was very convincing. Hank thought that he probably shouldn’t let it sway him, but maybe… maybe he wanted to let it happen.

“Next time Maria’s off at her book club or her gardening club or any of the other ladies’ social events she’s made commitments to, _absolutely_ ,” Howard said with a quirk of his eyebrows.

“Sounds like a plan,” Hank said with a grin.


End file.
